Cutting mechanism



Nov. 21, 1944. E, L SUTTER 2,363,097

CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 50, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi if SAY-n E. L. SUTTER CUTTING MECHANI SM Nov'. 21, 1944.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1943 `N w..21,1944.l E LSUTTR 2,363,097

CUTTING MECHANISM l Filed sept. so, 1945 5 sheets-sheet :s

Patented Nov. 2l, 1944 UNITED STATESr NLPATNENT y OFFICE `oufr'rluis(1131130i'HANISM n Erwin L. Sutter, Sharon, Mass., assigner toTobe` Deutschmann Corporation, Canton, Mass., a corporationof Delaware I I I I .application separater` so, 194s, serialNoj. 504.406

s claims. (o1. 164-49) of the order of from 11/2 to 3`inches, such lengths `varying for condensers of `different sizes. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism `operative automatically to cut wire into such short luniform lengths and comprising means whereby themechanism may readily be adjusted to out different lengths with- 1n its range of capacity. A further object is to provide cutting mechanism capable of handling wires of differentl diameters and of severing the wire, whateverits diametenwith a clean smooth cut. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation to small invention, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 2- is a fragmentary side elevation to larger scale than Fig. 1, showing certain of the parts illustrated inFig. l; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, with certain parts omitted;` I

. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the opposite side of the mechanism from that showninFig.2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; y

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section substantially on the line 6-5`of Fig. 5;

- ignates a table, bench or other suitablesupport upon which the mechanism may be mounted. On` this support rests a base plate 2 which supports spacer members 3 andll on which rests the bed plate 5 of the mechanism. Twoparallel uprights 6 .(Fig. l) `are secured at theirlower for the reception of a `removable shaft or spinof wire 9. I v.

Vertical posts I Band II (Fig. 5) are secured c ends to the `opposite edges of this bed` plate 5 I and are provided at their upperends with notches scale, illustrating the apparatus of the present ,I

`bed plate 5 and are rigidly united at their upper parts by a transverse plate I2 bolted to the for- I ward edges of the posts III and I I.

l At their lower parts the posts lll and II are furnished `with journals for the horizontal main drive shaft I3.` This shaft projects outbeyond the post I0 and hassecured toitsouter endv a sprocket wheel I4 (Figs. 2 `and 3) which recieves c a chain I5 driven by a motor M,(Fig. l) mounted Von the plate 2. The shaft I3 projects at its opposite end beyond the post II (Figs. 4 and 5) and has secured to its outer end an elongate .crank armtl. This crankarm is provided with a slot `I'l in which a .crank pin I8 is adjustably mounted. This `crank pin has at its `inner end a block (notshown) havinga screw-threaded `opening which receives the threaded adjusting screw I9 havinga knurled head 20 by means of which it may be turned. The crank pin may thusbe moved lengthwiseof the slot II and held in adjusted position. I

The head 22 wie. 5)` ofa rack bar za ispivv,oted on the crank pin I8.` This bar 23 has rack teeth 24 (Fig. 4) which always mesh with the teeth of a pinion 25 mounted ona shaft 25 jour- 'naled in bearings in the upper parts of the posts I0 and` I I. Rolls 23afengage the outer surface of the rack bar 23 so as toguideit in its up and down movementsand to keep it always in mesh with the pinion 25. The pinion 25 is connected to the drive element of a uni-directionalclutch dle 'I which carries a supply spool 8 for a coil l at their lower ends to the opposite edges of the 2'I I (of conventional `type) concentric with the shaft 2B, and whose driven element is vfixed to the shaft 26. The arrangement is such that as l the rack bar rises it turns the pinion 25 so as to rotate the shaft 26 in the wire feeding direction.

A rigid feed roll 28 (Fig. 6) is secured to the shaft 26 at a point between the plates I0 and II. This driven feed roll 28 cooperates with a second feed roll 29 which is arranged to turn freely on an eccentric stud 3D (Fig. 7) carriedby a part 30ab having an integral, threaded stud `3l lwhich e'Xtends throughan opening in an upc `ward extension lli `of the post Hand which is normally held against free rotation by a nut `Sla.` Ahandle 32 projecting from the part 30a` However, while the rack bar 23` moves A downwardly, the shaft26 4remains stationary.

ripheral surfaces and to permit them to be used with wires of different diameters without crushing the wires it is requisite that the rolls be adjustable toward and from one another.

The plate I2 supports a member 33 which has a plurality of horizontal guideways 34 (Figs. 5 and 6) of different diameters respectively, said guideways terminating very close to the bite of the rolls 28 andzythus confining and directing the wire asfit is advanced toward thebite of the rolls. .A plate 35 is secured to the upper portions of the rear edges of the posts I and il. This plate 35 is provided with a part 36 which is diaS passage 31. While the rack bar 23 is moving downwardly the feed roll 28 is stationary. Durrected toward the bite of the feed rolls, and which l is furnished Iwith guide passages 31 aligned with the guide passages 34, respectively, and which are designed to receive the wire as it is delivered by the feed rolls and to conduct thewire, while keeping it confined, until it emerges at the vertical, plane, outer surface of the plate 35.V A

lcutter 38. slides in contact with the outer plane surface of the platev 35, the cutter being guided for vertical movement and held `firmly yin' contact with the outer surfaceof the plate 35 by a pair of `guide plates 39 and 4l)A respectively (Fig.

This cutter 38 is provided with a horizontal slot 4I, the horizontal edge of the slot conl0] and ll,'respectively. This 'bell-crank has a second arm 46 and thearms 44 and .46 vare arranged for alternate engagement by a pin, roller, or equivalent element 41, carried by a disk 48 and revolving about the axis of the drive shaft I3, the

disk 48 being, fixed to said shaft. The actuating 'rod 42 is vextended vdown below the pivot pin 43 as rshown at 42a, thereby to provide a limiting stop for engagement with the bed plate- 5.

iA tension `arm 49 (Fig. 1) is'pivoted at its rear end upon the shaft 45 and atits forward end is furnished Iwith a vloop or eye 5D"through'which the wire-9 passes on its way from the spool 8 to the guide passage 34; A spring v5I constantly urges the freeV end of the tension arm 49 downwardly, thu'skeeping the wire-9 under tension.

Preferably a trough T (Fig. l) is arranged to receive the lengths ofwire after-they are severed by the cutter 38 and to guide thenrintoY a suitable receptacle R which may be placed upon lthe bed plate 5.

In the operation of the machine the wireV 9 is4 drawn off from the spool 8 and passed beneath the tension loop 5!! and then introduced into that guideway 34 which is of the proper diameter to receive it. The upper feed roll is adjusted to correspond to the diameter of the wire and the moltor` M is started by manipulation ofA a suitable l lovverfeed roll 28`is advanced through a definite angle thusdrawing off wire fromthe supply spool and projecting it through the passage 31 and through the slot 4I in the cutter 38. During this advance movement ofthe wire the cutter is substantially stationary with its slot 4i opposite the 75 idle position.

ing this period the pin 41, by engagement with the arm 44 of the bell-crank lever, moves the cutter upwardly so as to sever the protruding length of wire. As the pin 41 continues to revolve it engages the arm 46 of the bell-crank lever, thus rocking the lever in the opposite direction and pulling the cutter38 downwardly until the part 422' engages the plate 5, thus positioning the cutter blade with the slot 4| opposite to the passage 31 in readiness for the delivery of another length of wire to'be cut.

When it is desired to change the length of the piece which is thus cut off, it is simply requisite to turn thel thumb-screw 2l) in the proper direction thereby to adjust the crank pin I8 and vary the` effective. throw of the crank. If desired the crank I() may be provided with graduations corresponding to the lengths of wire .which will -be to be understood that the invention is'not necessarily limited to this precise embodiment, but is t0 be regarded as broadly inclusive of all equivalent constructions falling within the terms of the appended claims.-

I claim:

l. Strand cutting apparatus of the kind having a pair of feed rolls, means for turning one at least of said rolls intermittently, always in the same direction, a reciprocable cutter, .a cutter actuating rod, and cutter actuating means for moving the rod alternately in opposite directions characterized in that said cutter actuating means includes a bell crank lever having rigidly` connected arms disposed in substantially `the same plane, a rotating `shaft and 'a part carried thereby arranged to revolve in the plane of the arms of the lever and so located. as iirst to engage and then to disengageone of said arms and thereafterto engage and then to disengage the other arm, the bell crank being freeto move vduring the intervals between said successiveenf gagements, the movement of the rod inone direction causing the cutter to perform its severing operation and reverse movement ofthe rod restoring the cutter to idle position, and'means carried by the rod to limit movement. of the latter in the reverse direction so as to insure returnof the cutter to a denite predetermined 2. Strand cutting apparatus ofthe kind which comprises a pair of rigid feed rolls, 'means operative to drive one of said lrolls intermittently, always in the same direction, an eccentric support for the other roll, and means for turning saidsupport thereby to adjust the latter roll toward and from the first to accommodate strands of different diameters, characterized in that the guide means includes rigid parts disposed respectively atvoppositefsides of the bite of the rolls, each of said parts having a plurality of guide passages of graduated diameters,l corresponding passages in the two parts beingaxially aligned, the passages at the delivery side of the rolls terminating at a plain surface of the part in which said passages are formed, a cutter guided to slide vvertically in contact with said plain surface, the

which revolves in the `planeoi saidarms and which is so located in the angle between the arms that it completes successive operative contacts with therespective arms inisubstantially less than a half revolution, contact of said element Withone` armcausing the cutting to perform its severing movement and contactfof said element with the other arm reversing the moa tion ofthe cutter, and stoplmeans operative pos` itively Vto limit movement of the cutter in the reverse direction thereby to insure registration of the slot in the cutter with the delivery guide passages duringthe feeding of thewire.'

3. A `strand-cutting apparatus comprising in combination a pair of feed rolls, means for turning atleast one vof said rolls intermittently, al

u d 2,363,097 rotating shaft carrying an actuating element ing `a plurality of passages of graduated diameter` designed respectively to conne and i direct strands of corresponding diameters as they ap proach the bite of the rolls, guide means providing similarpassages for confining the strands as they emerge from betweenthe rolls, said latter passages each terminating at aplane` surfaeein a rigid part,` a cutter `sliding in contact with said plane surface, said cutter having a slot of `a length such that it may register at thesanie time with all of said passages', one edge of the slot constituting the cutting element and means for actuating the cutter thereby to severa strand protruding from any one `of `said passages.

ERWIN L. SUTTER.

Ways in the same direction, guide means provid- 

